Thursday, 27 July 2017

N700M was for purchase, furnishing of Sultan's residence in Abuja - Sokoto State Govt reacts to alleged EFCC interrogation

The Sokoto State government has responded to the alleged
interrogation of the Chief of Staff to the Sultan, Alhaji Kabiru Tafida
by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over a suspicious
transfer of N700 million into his account from the government account.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser to Governor Aminu
Tambuwal on Media and Publicity Imam Imam said the N700 million was for
the purchase and furnishing of Sultanate Council office and residence
of the Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar in Abuja and followed
due process. He said the funds were captured under the state capital
estimates of 2016 supplementary budget and 2017 budget.

Premium Times earlier reported that crack detectives of EFCC on Tuesday
questioned Tafida over a suspicious transfer of N700 million into his
account from the Sokoto State government account. He was released on
administrative bail on Wednesday evening following what a source described as “unceasing pressure on the EFCC by the Sultan and the Sokoto State government”.

Mr. Tafida was first invited to the EFCC office in Abuja on Tuesday where he was interrogated by a team of investigators. He was then asked to return on Wednesday for more questioning.

Premium Times source said the money in question was taken
from the Sokoto State’s share of the Paris club refund recently made to
Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. EFCC sources said
they were trying to establish why the funds were channelled through the
personal account of the Sultan’s senior aide.

The Secretary to the Sultanate Council, Alhaji Faruk Umar,
however, denied any knowledge of the N700 million allegedly linked to
the Sultan. Speaking to Daily Trust in his office, Faruk said:

"I am just hearing it from you, therefore I cannot comment on something which I don't know,” he said.

Imam explained further that: “The Sokoto State Government,
concerned by lack of a befitting office and residential accommodation
for use by officials and members of the Sultanate Council, approved
within its capital estimates 2016 Supplementary Budget and 2017 Budget,
the sum of Two Hundred Million Naira (N200 million) and Five Hundred
Million Naira (N500 million) respectively, provision and furnishing of
of Sultanate Council office and residence in Abuja.”

"Furthermore, the Sokoto State Executive Council, the
highest decision-making body in the state, via a resolution of the EXCO
with number CC (2016) 5R of Wednesday, December 28, 2016, approved the
purchase of the office and residential accommodation in Abuja,” Imam
said.

“Following the adherence to laid down procedure, the
process of acquiring the property was set in motion upon which some
elements are now trying to make political capital out of it,” he said.